CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 22-year-old Premont man has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced.
Damian Rodriguez, also known as Diablo, pleaded guilty March 31. U.S. District Judge David Morales handed down the maximum sentence allowed under the law, to be immediately followed by 3 years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing, the court heard additional evidence describing Rodriguez's use of the firearm to commit several crimes, including the attempted murder of a local victim and a police officer. Rodriguez was held responsible for both attempted murders at sentencing.
On Dec. 29, 2025, law enforcement responded to a local residence after receiving a call about multiple gunshots. Surveillance footage showed Rodriguez firing multiple gunshots into the residence from an adjacent alley. Authorities recovered 11 shell casings at the scene. The victim was not injured. Further investigation revealed Rodriguez had made multiple threats to the victim's life on social media.
2 days later, a local police officer discovered multiple threats on his life from Rodriguez's social media accounts. Law enforcement learned Rodriguez had been walking in the area with a loaded gun and attempted to locate him. Rodriguez saw officers and began shooting. During another incident the same day, shots were also fired at law enforcement. Shell casings recovered at those scenes matched those from the prior attempted murder scene.
The investigation led authorities to a residence where they located Rodriguez. Among his belongings was a Colt .223 caliber rifle with an obliterated serial number. Analysis and testing confirmed the firearm matched the shell casings from the prior shootings.
At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez had also made multiple comments about his attempts to shoot and kill the police officer.
Rodriguez remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined.
The Premont and Falfurrias police departments, the Brooks County Sheriff's Office, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.
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